Senses
by Maxsunny
Summary: Kaneki finds his soul mate and is confused about the sensation. Uta is dealing with unrequited love. When the connection comes to light, they struggle to step out of their comfort zones. Especially with Kaneki so close to crumbling, can Uta help hold him together? No idea where this is going, so not sure about rating or triggers - will change as needed. KanekiXUta


So, lately I've been obsessed with sole mate stories, but there aren't really any for Uta and Kaneki. Sad. So here is my rough attempt at one.

I usually end up deleting most of my stories when I go back and reread them because I hate correcting mistakes and lose interest... even my one-shots. So, enjoy this while it's here cause no promises it will be up long. And sorry for any OOCness I'm kind of putting my own spin on everything.

I also watched the show start to finish once and stopped there, I'm not an expert and probably didn't get the facts perfect (and I don't care). Like I said, this is my world, and these are my bitches!

TRIGGERS: None in this chapter that I am aware of but I'm not the most sensitive person… soo..

\- I own nothing except my irrational addiction :(

* * *

Kaneki stood in an isle of the quiet little bookstore, holding two novels in his hands and contemplating a third. The tips of his white hair fell in front of his eyes as he read the back cover.

He could feel the gaze of the young cashier burning into his skin. Her eyes had been following him for the past fifteen minutes, and his predatory sensors had kept him aware of the uncomfortable attention.

His heightened senses had been getting stronger over the past four months. Yomo told him that it was probably his ghoul side pushing out his lesser human senses once and for all.

He said that his instincts would become stronger and overtake his human logic in a way that he was unaware of. Since there was minimal knowledge of his adaptation from human to ghoul, it was mostly a guessing game and speculation.

He had become more sensitive to the sensations around him and how they affected him. He felt more aware, but he also felt more in control. But at times it felt like he was being assaulted by his surrounding. Yomo said that once his body adjusted to the changes, it would probably become normal to him.

As it was now, he could feel her stair and smell human pheromones coming from her.

Ghouls had a distinct smell from humans, and recently he had found that ghoul smell more physically attractive and the human order was just hunger-inducing. Despite his occasional stints of cannibalism.

Deciding on the third book he carried them all to the register and place them on the counter.

"You must really like to read." Her voice sounded smooth. Kaneki could tell that she was sucking her waist in and pushing her chest out, trying to look attractive. He could also hear her heartbeat pick up, forcing the blood quicker through her veins.

A little voice in the back of his head told him that it was appealing, just not in the way she wanted.

"Yeah." He handed her the money as she giggled at his blank response.

He didn't know what it was, maybe the change in hair? Before he was basically invisible to women, now it's not uncommon for them to give him a second glance.

"We're getting a shipment of new books by Ren Yamota next Monday. They don't go on sale until Friday, but if you want I can get you one early?" She batted her eyes at him and rested her arms on the counter as she passed him his change. Her chest was pushing forward in her low cut shirt. She was really pretty. He had always been a sucker for big dark eyes and petite pouty lips.

"I couldn't give it to you here of course. My manager will be around."

"Thanks for the offer but these will probably hold me over for a while." He put the change in his pocket and picked up the bagged books. "Have a good day."

He turned to leave, and she huffed in an offended manner. God, she smelled good. It had been almost three weeks since his last meal.

The bell rang as he left the store and stepped back out into the cold winter air. He pulled his gray coat around his neck and pushed his scarf up to his nose. He hated winter.

He walked aimlessly down the street thinking a hot cup of coffee sounded good. He hadn't been in the fourth district in six months and wasn't familiar with the shops. It was by chance that he ended up there in the first place.

After a couple of blocks, he found a cafe that looked to be popular. He walked in and was hit by the smell of good coffee. And a whiff of something else amazing.

There were five others in the cafe. Kaneki walked to the counter and ordered a black coffee. Due to the cold weather and the fact that this shop didn't have any food advertised, he felt comfortable not ordering anything else.

Excepting the hot styrofoam cup, he turned to find a place to sit. As he moved towards an empty table in the back the amazing smell intensified. As he moved closer to the source, it went from appealing to overwhelming.

He thought that if it were a human that smells that way, then he wouldn't be able to stop himself from attacking them.

He turned to make a quick exit, fighting the feeling of his kakugan wanting to trigger. He pushed through the door and back outside. The source was gone, but it was like the smell was permanently embedded in his nose. He managed to step into the bordering ally as his kakugan activated.

Kaneki could process the occurrence. All that his senses could do was scream at him to go back and find that rehabilitating smell again.

The shred of rational thought that he still possessed told him to move away from the shop and find a meal that wasn't out in the open. Quickly he downed the hot coffee, hoping that it would fill his stomach long enough to regain control.

He was moving down the ally, with all intentions of finding food, when he caught a breath of that smell again. Stopping he looked back to the ally opening, there was the source of the smell, staring down the walkway.

When the figure started walking towards him, Kaneki started calculating his chances of silently killing and dragging the person to a more secluded location.

The figure was ten feet away when they stopped.

"Kaneki."

Kaneki froze, he knew that voice, and it wasn't a human. He took a step back, he felt like he was shaking, and he was still eager to attack and eat the individual. He felt like a drooling dog waiting for food.

Unsure of what to do he let the bag of book fall to the ground before he turned and ran.

* * *

It was late when Kaneki finally made it home. After he found a meal, he went and found another, trying to fill the emptiness.

Only after thoroughly gorging himself did he realize that eating wasn't helping. Unable to shake the feeling that the strange encounter had left him with, he went back to his apartment and called Yoko.

That was how the stoic man was brought to the current situation of drinking coffee at the others kitchen table.

"I don't really know what it was." Kaneki pored himself a hot cup. "Have you ever smelled a ghoul, and it was different somehow."

The man gave him a blank stare, waiting for further explanation.

"I was in the fourth ward today, and I ran into this smell. At first, I thought it was a human, but they smelled incredible, better than anything I've ever smelled before. My kakugan even triggered. But the smell was another ghoul." He twisted the cup on the counter. He was too full to drink it.

"Now I can't get the smell out of my head."

Yomo sighed and put his mug down. "Has anyone explained to you the process of mates?"

Kaneki felt his face redden. "Uhh..." is this guy seriously talking about sex?

"Not that," Yomo pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, "Ghoul nature is more instinctual and animalistic then humans. Everything is based on survival and self-preservation. So, we have the ability to since out our mates."

Kaneki sat down on a counter stool as he listened.

"Everyone has a person that is physically compatible with their DNA. Normally it's just one match for each person, but it's not an exact science. There have been cases where a ghoul has found two others that they are naturally compatible with, but more often than not you never run into your mate. The world is a big place and it's usually a chance encounter. Humans probably have the same disposition but because they are so out of touch with their instincts they can't tell when they meet them."

"So that's what you think it was, I met my mate?" He didn't know if she should feel wonder at the idea or confusion at the ridiculous theory of soul mates "You're joking right?"

"No, as far as emotions go, it's not always a perfect line up, but physically there is a natural bond between the two. You smelt their sent and were instinctually drawn to it."

He stood and sat his half-empty cup on the counter in front of Kaneki. "If that's all then I'm going to go."

Kaneki didn't argue as he left. Lost in thought.

* * *

It had been two weeks since the meeting at the coffee shop, and Kaneki could still image that smell. It was what had pulled him back to the fourth district.

He walked down the street thinking of all the unanswered questions he had as he neared his destination.

When he was walking to the front door, he could smell light traces of that scent again. He instantly felt lighter and more at ease. The change in emotion was enough for him to consider turning around and leaving. But he was curious.

He pushed the door open and stepped into the mask shop. Instantly he was hit with that same overwhelming scent. He was glad that he had made the thoughtful decision to wear his old eyepatch, just in case. Now he only did it if he was starving. Just as a precaution.

He walked further into the shop and admired the masks on display. He hadn't come to HySy in at least six months.

He had tried to calm down the carnage that seemed to follow him and just deal with his quickly crumbling psychological stability. Then all of the changes to his ghoul seines started to settle in. As a result, he hadn't needed repairs to his mask in quite a while.

Kaneki knew he was insane; bouts of erratic behavior, lapses in rational thought, paranoia - the works. He had been struggling, and the more he stayed in that world that revolved around fighting and chaos, the worse it became. He was dangerous and unstable on his off days, and he never knew when one of those was coming.

That was part of the reason that he was curious about the idea of a person who was compatible with him. It was also the reason he was apprehensive if it just made things worse then he didn't know if he would be able to handle it.

He knew that he was too much for someone to handle and it wouldn't be fair to expect someone to. The only thing that carried him to the shop was the feeling that the smell had left him with. He was chasing a sensation that was better than the feeling of being normal and sane, and that could potentially be very dangerous for him.

He stood in the shop looking at the various masks and trying to control his reaction to the odor.

"I'll be with you in a minute."

The monotone voice came from a back room behind the counter. Kaneki suppressed a shiver at the sound. He didn't understand anything that was happening. Yomo's information was vague, and he hadn't pressed him for more. But at the sound, Kaneki felt a vibration from his chest. _Did I just purr?_

He concentrated hard on controlling himself.

"Kaneki?" Uta stepped out from the back room and stood behind the counter "What brings you here today?"

Kaneki's gaze fell on his red orbs. It was like something clicked in his brain, he wasn't sure exactly what clicked, but something definitely happened to cause him to feel at ease.

"Uhh, I - Umm…" What exactly was he supposed to say, _I wanted to smell you because Yomo said you're my mate._

Uta was patiently staring at him with those calculating eyes. His blank face held his lips in a small pout as he waited, his head tilted to the side in an obliviously cute manner.

After a prolonged pause from Kaneki, Uta continued to speak. "Is everything okay with your mask?"

"Yes." _Why did I say that?_

"Okay." He tried to think of a reason for showing up out of the blue.

"I was wondering if you could make me another one?"

"Ohh, okay. Do you want the same design or something different?" Uta moved around the counter and to Kaneki. With one hand he pushed the shorter ghoul back onto his measuring stool. Kaneki felt overwhelmed at the contact and the sensation it brought on.

The mask maker moved around him taking his measurements meticulously.

"Different. You can make it however you want." He was grasping at straws. He had no idea what he needed a new mask for, but he definitely wasn't going to back out now.

"How have you been?"

"Fine, I guess."

"I haven't heard anything about you on the grid lately."

"Yeah, I've been taking some time for myself."

"Is everything okay? You haven't been in the habit of laying low. Even Itori hasn't heard a word about you in months. She usually loves to stick her nose in the business of that group of friends of yours."

"Yeah, I just needed some mental rest." He felt like their was electricity in the air.

Uta nodded his head in understanding. "What's this for? Knowing some details will help me to create it. Do you want any exposure?"

Kaneki stared at him for a second. His overwhelmed mind was struggling to keep up with the jump in the conversation.

"Um, it really doesn't matter. I just need one that looks different from my other one." He was trying to be smooth while resisting the urge to grab Uta and smell him. "You can take whatever liberties you want."

"Okay, when do you need it by?"

"One week, if that works for you?"

"Are you still at the same address?" Uta looked at him with his big red eyes. For a second he forgot how to breath.

"I can come by and get it if that's okay?" He didn't know why he said it. He couldn't control his mouth. He needed to leave, not make plans to come back.

"I'll be open until seven on Friday. You can pick it up at any time." He was already focused on the notepad, sketching something that Kaneki couldn't see. "Until then if you need another one then your more than welcome to one of my display masks."

"No, it's fine." He stood up. The chair squeaked at the movement. "I'll see you on Friday."

The smell had been so potent at the close contact; It made him feel lightheaded. He was reluctant to leave, which just made him want to run. It was a lot to absorb. He had half expected to show up and have the lack of that smell prove that it was some fluke, or have Uta confront him about the sudden occurrence. But neither of those came to face.

 _Can Uta not smell it?_ Was the attraction one-sided? For whatever reason Kaneki felt sick at the idea. He was once a human; maybe the matchup was flawed because of his change in classification. The idea that Utas match was someone else made his body ache.

It was strange; he had never thought of the other like that. Before the whole ghoul situation came into his life, he had never even considered looking at another man. After the change, he didn't really have time to look at women without wondering about the pecking order.

Uta was a scary, intimidating guy. Not really the kind of character he would look at and think beautiful, but now that Kaneki was watching him work, he did have an elegance about him that Kaneki had never seen in anyone else.

Without saying another word, he turned and left the shop. He needed to get away from Uta to beable to process it all.

* * *

 **Utas POV**

Uta sat at his measuring bench staring at the door as it closed. He watched as Kanekis figure crossed the street and disappeared around the corner ally. _Shit_.

The shop was still full of his smell. The young white-haired ghouls scent was warm. The odor made his though burn with heat; it was like breathing in hot air. It always made his mind go hazy with the sensation.

Kenaki smelt as good as the first day Uta had met him. Back then he was shocked, Tyoko brought the freshly turned ghoul that everyone was buzzing about into his shop, and with him came that smell. He was never able to get rid out it, not really. The sensation was burned into his brain.

It was obvious back then that Kaneki couldn't feel the connection. Uta had taken the opportunity to openly smell him at their first meeting. If he didn't always have his kakugan activated, then it would have triggered for sure.

He sat his pad down and looked at the base sketch and measurements. They were utterly unnecessary; he had a file with Kanekis information from his first visit. He had just wanted the opportunity to be close to the other and touch him.

The mate scent made him feel at ease, but the knowledge of reality left him in a bottomless void.

He knew it was pointless to linger on the idea, but as children, ghouls are told fairy tales about finding their mate. It's a rare occurrence but its built up to be this incredible experience. Finding your mate means that you found the perfect person to be with. From the stories he was told as a child, a mate is the other half of your soul.

He knew it wasn't that black and white, and it wasn't that perfect, but he still didn't want it to be this.

This just hurt. Especially since it was Kaneki. Even if he hadn't smelt him before he had seen him, he would have been attracted to him. Even without the scent that followed him. Everything about his was perfect. His face. His body. His voice.

Even the change to his appearance and personality over the past year were buetifle, everything about him showed how strong he was. Despite everything, the other never lost his compassion. He was amazing.

* * *

Uta sat the completed mask in its box and placed it below the cash register. He had no idea if it was what the white-haired ghoul was looking for, but he had been told to take his artistic liberties with it.

He was nervous about the other stopping by. He always was, every time Kaneki would call to drop off his mask for him to fix he would get a knot in his gut.

The six months had been a long time for him to go without seeing Kaneki, but the unrequited feelings that he always got from seeing him were almost worst.

Despite his dual appearance, he was an emotional person. Well, maybe not emotional, but he was very in touch with his emotions. He wasn't used to denying himself something that made him happy, and Kaneki's presence made him very happy.

* * *

Okay. I know that wasn't perfect, and it was probably to drawn out but damn it took me four hours to write. So… yeah, fuck it, not going back and changing shit.

But I do want to know about the plot? Should I leave the story as is or should I delete it and just do Uta's POV? I thought that it might be simpler and I might be more compelled to continue. If I do Uta's then I'll turn this into a one-shot (if people like it) and take Utas part and turn it into its own store! - and I might do that regardless. :)

 _Word of the day: Fuck-you_


End file.
